Centrifugally operated impact and friction clutches

ABSTRACT

A transmission comprising an input shaft journalled in a housing carrying a power output. Splined on the shaft is a disc having sockets in axially staggered relation opening onto its periphery and in each of which a steel ball is radially movable. The disc is biased towards one end of the housing by a spring and this end is formed with a conical surface that is engaged by the balls. Where the conical surface terminates at its larger end, the inner surface of the housing is formed with a plurality of arcuate recesses which correspond in number to the balls. The recesses and balls are axially staggered and each recess has a small angle of inclination at the entry end for a ball and a more abrupt end which is engaged by a ball after it has moved up the conical surface by centrifugal and entered the recess with a hammer-like impact. The ball may also engage a friction clutch between the shaft and housing.

United States Patent 1 1 Bentley I 1 Oct. 2, 1973 I CENTRIFUGALLYOPERATED IMPACT AND FRICTION CLUTCIIES [76] Inventor: Arthur P. Bentley,PO. Box 139,

Boerne, Tex. 78006 22 Filed: July 5, 1972 211 App]. No.: 269,115

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1965' 'Bloomquist 192/30 R8/1966 Atsumi et al..... 8/1966 Drew 173/97 Primary ExqminerBenjaminWyche Attorney-Eric P. Schellin et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A transmission comprising an input shaft journalled in ahousing carrying a power output. Splined on the shaft is a disc havingsockets in axially staggered relation opening onto its periphery and .ineach of which a steel ball is radially movable. The disc is biasedtowards one end of the housing by a spring and this end is formed with aconical surface that is engaged by the balls. Where the conical surfaceterminates at its larger end, the inner surface of the housing is formedwith a plurality of arcuate recesses which correspond in number to theballs. The recesses and balls are axially staggered and each recess hasa small angle of inclination at the entry end for a ball and a moreabrupt end which is engaged by a ball after it has moved up the conicalsurface by centrifugal and entered the recess with a hammer-like impact.The ball may also engage a friction clutch between the shaft andhousing.

8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures YPATENTEDBBT elm 3.762.519

SHEET 2 BF 2 CENTRIFUGALLY OPERATED IMPACT AND FRICTION CLUTCHES Thepresent invention relates to transmissions and is concerned primarilywith what might be called an impact transmission, in that a 1:1 ratiobetween a power input and a power output is ultimately achieved whensteel balls in a disc carrier are rotated and moved by centrifugal forceinto recesses in a housing carrying the output and engage the ends ofthe recesses with hammer-like impacts.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION At the present time, there are known manytransmissions and clutches which include balls as elements thereof. Insome instances, these balls are moved radially to vary the ratio betweendriving and driven members. However, in the known devices of this typethe balls are moved radially by mechanical means rather than centrifugalforce.

I There are clutches which are known and which include conical surfacesover which balls move into interlocked engagement with grooves in adriven member. Here, again, the balls are not moved radially bycentrifugal force.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION With theforegoing conditions in mind, thepresent invention has in view the following objectives:

1. To provide a transmission in which a 1:1 ratio between driving anddriven members is finally established by balls which when rotated by thedriving member enter recesses in the driven member under the influenceof centrifugal force and engage ends of these recesses with impact.

2. To provide, in a transmission of the type noted, a driven member inthe form of a housing having a conical surface at one end and whichmerges with a cylindrical surface thatis formed with a series ofstaggered recesses immediately adjacent to' the line of merger betweensaid conical and cylindrical surfaces.

3. To provide, in a transmission of the character aforesaid, recessesin' the driven member which are of arcuate shape and each of which has aball entry of small inclination and an abrupt end which is engaged by aball with impact. Y

4. To provide, in a transmission of the kind described, a drivingassembly comprising an input shaft and a disc carrier for the balls thatis splined on the shaft and biased towards the conical surfaceon thedriven member by a springto cause the balls to engage the conicalsurface. I

5. To provide, in a transmission of the type noted, a ball carrier dischaving sockets in axially staggered relation which open onto theperiphery of the disc with each socket receiving a steel ball that isradially movable therein by centrifugal force.

6. To provide a transmission of the type noted that includes a clutchbetween the driving and driven members and which is rendered effectivewhen an excessive load is encountered by the driven member.

Various other more detailed objects and advantages of the invention suchas arise in connection with carrying out the above ideas in a practicalembodiment will, in part, become apparent, and, in part, be hereafterstated as the description of the invention proceeds.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The foregoing objects are achieved by providinga transmission comprising a driving assembly including a ball carryingdisc that is splined to an input shaft and a driven assembly including acylindrical housing in which the shaft is journalled and having aconical surface at one end which is joined at its wider end to acylindrical surface. A plurality of axially staggered arcuate recessescorresponding in number to the number of balls are formed in thecylindrical surface immediately adjacent to the conical surface. Each ofthese recesses has a bottom surface of a small angle of inclination atthe end where a ball enters and an abrupt end remote from this ballentry which is engaged by a ball with a hammer-like impact.

The housing includes an end wall remote from the conical surface and anexpansion coil spring is interposed between this end wall and the ballcarrying disc. This spring biases the balls into engagement with theconical surface and, as the disc is rotated, and the rate of rotationincreased, the balls are moved radially outwardly under centrifugalforce and travel over the conical surface towards its wider end. Duringthis travel, the disc is moved axially of the shaft against theinfluence of the spring and the ratio of rotation between the drivingand driven members is gradually decreased until the balls enter therecesses to ultimately establish a 1:1 ratio.

While it is believed that it will not be required under all conditionsof service usage, a disc clutch is interposed between the driving anddriven members. This clutch comprises a plurality of discs which aredrivably mounted on a sleeve positioned about the shaft and having oneend connected to the ball carrying disc and another plurality of discsdrivably carried by the cylindrical housing and interposed between thefirstmentioned plurality of discs. When the clutch is effective, the twosets of discs are' yieldably held in frictional engagement by a springon the sleeve.

For a full and more complete understanding of the I invention, referencemay be had to the following description and the accompanying drawingswherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of a transmission embodying the precepts of thisinvention with a portion of the housing and elements therein broken awayand shown in'section;

' FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the. peripheral surface of the ballcarrying disc as flattened and illustrating the staggered arrangement ofthe balls in a some- DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referringnow to the drawings wherein like reference characters denotecorresponding elements throughout the several views, and first moreparticularly to FIG. 1, a housing is identified in its entirety by thereference character and comprises a cylindrical wall 11 and end walls 12and 13 which are secured to the end faces of cylindrical wall 11 in anypreferred way, such as by screw bolts 14, the heads of which arecounter-sunk in recesses in the exposed faces of end walls 12 and 13.

End wall 12 is formed with a reduced extension 15. Secured to extension15 as by screw bolts 16 is a power take-off 17. An input shaft 18 passesthrough power take-off l7 and is journalled in a bearing assembly 19mounted in end wall 12 and a second bearing assembly 20 in end wall 13.

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 4 and 5, cylindrical wall 11 isformed at the end adjacent to end wall 13 with a conical surface 21, thewider end of which is identified at 22 and which is disposed inwardly 0fthe housing. Cylindrical wall 11 also includes an inner cylindricalsurface 23. Immediately adjacent to wide end 22 of conical surface 21,cylindrical surface 23 is formed with a plurality of arcuate recesses24. In the embodiment illustrated, there are four of the recesses 24 inequi-angularly spaced relation.

Upon referring to FIG. 3, it will be noted that each recess 24 has abottom wall 25 at a comparatively small angle of inclination withrespect to the cylindrical surface 23. In fact, it amounts tosubstantially a tangential continuation thereof. The bottom wall 25 ofeach recess 24 has an end surface 26 which is comparatively steep orabrupt. The end of each recess 24 remote from the abrupt surface 26 isidentified as the ball entry end, speaking with reference to thedirection of rotation as depicted by the arrows in FIG. 3. The recesses24 are axially staggered or offset in a progressive series. Thus, onerecess 24 is more closely adjacent to the wide end 22 of conical surface21. The next recess 24 is axially spaced from the first recess aboutone-eighth of an inch, the third recess, one-eighth of an inch from thesecond, and the fourth, one-eighth of an inch from the third.

A ball carrying disc 27 is keyed to shaft 18 by the splines representedat 28. Disc 27 is positioned in housing 10 adjacent to end wall 13. Disc27 has a peripheral rying disc 27 towards end plate 13 to cause balls 31to cylindrical surface 29 into which open a plurality of equi-angularlyspaced recesses or sockets 30. In the illustrated embodiment, there arefour of these sockets 30, because there are four recesses 24 incylindrical wall 11.

Referring for the moment to FIG. 2, it will be noted that this viewdepicts the cylindrical surface 29 as flattened out and illustrates therelation of the sockets 30 in a somewhat distorted arrangement. Sockets30 are arranged in an axially staggered or offset relation correspondingto the arrangement of the recesses 24. Thus, a first socket 30 islocated closely adjacent to a wide edge of cylindrical surface 29. Asecond socket 30a is axially offset with respect to socket 30 a distanceof about one-eighth of an inch. A third socket 30b is axially offsetfrom socket 300 one-eighth of an inch and socket 300 is offset fromsocket 30b one-eighth of an inch and is located closely adjacent to theside edge of surface 29 remote from that which is closely adjacent tosocket 30. A steel ball 31 is received in each socket 30 and is radiallymovable therein. An expansion coil spring 32 is disposed about shaft 18between end wall 12 and disc 27. This spring 32 normally biases ballcarengage conical surface 21 as depicted in FIG. 3.

While the drawings illustrate a disc clutch to be later described, sucha clutch is not essential to the operation of the transmission mechanismso far described. Hence, at this point, it is deemed advisable todescribe the operation with the clutch omitted.

it will be understood that input shaft 18 and ball carrying disc 27constitute a driving assembly, while housing 10 and power take-off 17constitute a driven assembly. With shaft 18 at rest, spring 32 urgesdisc 27 substantially into engagement with the inner face of end wall 13or slightly spaced therefrom, in which position conical surface 21depresses balls 31 into their innermost radial positions. As shaft 18 isrotated and the speed of rotation increased, balls 31 are movedoutwardly under centrifugal force. Due to their engagement with conicalsurface 21 two functions are performed. One of these is that ballcarrying disc 27 is moved away from end wall 13 against the influence ofspring 32. The other is that housing 10 is imparted rotation.

At the start of rotation, the ratio between the rate of rotation ofshaft 18 relative to housing 10 is high. That is, the housing rotates ata lower rate than does shaft 18. This ratio is gradually decreased asthe balls move towards the wider end 22 of conical surface 21.

When disc 27 reaches a position in which socket 30 is disposed oppositeto its corresponding recess 24, the ball in socket 30 will enter therecess 24 at the entry end of bottom surface 25. It will then move inthe recess repidly and engage the end surface 26 thereof with ahammer-like impact which rapidly increases the speed of rotation ofhousing 10. Second socket 30a will then come opposite to itscorresponding recess 24 and the ball 31 therein will enter this recessand engage the end surface 26 thereof in the manner above described.Socket 30b then comes opposite to its corresponding recess 24 and theball 31 therein enters this recess and strikes the end wall 26 thereofwith an impact. The same action takes place when socket 300 comesopposite to its corresponding recess 24. It is evident, therefore, thatthe housing 10 is subjected to a series of impacts to speed up itsrotation until a 1:1 ratio between the driving assembly and the drivenassembly is established.

With only one ball 31 received in a recess 24, there is eatablished aratio corresponding to a low gear ratio. To improve the action withinthis ratio, a clutch disc mechanism is interposed between the drivingand driven assemblies. Thus, a sleeve 33 is disposed about shaft 18 inspaced relation relative thereto with the spring 32 being disposed inthe space so defined. Sleeve 33 has an end flange 34 which engages anend face of ball carrying disc 27. Non-rotatable and slidable on sleeve33 is a tubular disc carrier 35 from which outstand a set of clutchdiscs 36. A spring abutment 37 is carried by disc carrier 35 and anexpansion coil spring 38 is interposed between abutment disc 37 and endflange 34.

A second set of clutch discs 39 are drivably mounted on cylindrical wall11 and extend inwardly therefrom between clutch discs 36.

When the driven assembly is subjected to a high load, such as when thetransmission is included in a motor vehicle and a hill is encountered, aslow rate of hill climbing is provided when only the ball 31 is socket30 is received in its recess 24. This would correspond to the low gearof a conventional transmission. Under these conditions, there is atendency for housing to drift backwards the same amount that the ballgains when it falls into the recess 24. The discs 36 and 39 are urgedinto engagement by the spring 38 as shown in FIG. 3, and thus preventthis rapid reverse action of the housing. Thus, full advantage isderived from the forward hammer-like impact of steel ball 31 strikingthe end wall 26 of recess 24.

While a preferred specific embodiment is herein disclosed, it is to beclearly understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exactconstruction, devices and mechanisms illustrated and described becausevarious modifications of these details may be provided in putting theinvention into practice.

What is claimed is:

1. In a transmission:

a. a driving assembly comprising an input shaft and a disc splinedthereon and having a peripheral cylindrical surface;

b. a plurality of sockets in said disc opening onto said peripheralsurface, arranged in axially offset staggered relation andequi-angularly spaced apart;

c. a steel ball radially movable in each of said sockets;

d. a driven assembly comprising a housing and a power take-off;

e. said housing including a cylindrical wall and a pair of end walls;

f. said shaft being journalled in said end walls;

g. said cylindrical wall having a conical surface at one end, with theconical surface presenting its wider end inwardly of the cylindricalwall;

h. said cylindrical wall having an inner cylindrical surface adjacent tothe wider end of said conical surface and formed with a series ofequi-angularly spaced arcuate recesses in axially offset staggeredrelation, and

i. spring means in said housing for urging said disc towards andinwardly of said conical surface,

whereby when said shaft is rotated and the speed of rotation increased,said balls move outwardly of the sockets under the influence ofcentrifugal force and due to their engagement with said conical surfacemove said disc axially inwardly of the housing to progressively bringsaid sockets opposite to said recesses whereupon the balls enter therecesses in succession and engage ends of the recesses with hammer-likeimpacts.

2. The transmission of claim 1 in which said spring means takes the formof an expansion coil spring disposed about said shaft and interposedbetween an end wall of the housing and said disc.

3. The transmission of claim 1 in which each of said arcuate recesseshas a ball entry end and an abrupt end wall spaced from said ball entryend.

4. The transmission of claim 3 in which said entry end is defined by abottom surface of the recess which is substantially a tangentialcontinuation of the inner cylindrical surface and which bottom surfacemerges in with said abrupt end wall.

5. The transmission of claim 1 in which there are four of said socketsand four of said arcuate recesses.

6. The transmission of claim 5 in which a first socket is locatedclosely adjacent to a side edge of the cylindrical surface of said disc,a second socket is axially offset from said first socket a distance ofsubstantially oneeighth of an inch, a third socket is axially offsetfrom said second socket a distance of substantially oneeighth of aninch, and a fourth socket is axially offset from said third socket adistance of substantially oneeighth of an inch and is located closelyadjacent to the other side edge of said cylindrical surface, and saidarcuate recesses are axially offset in an arrangement corresponding tothe staggered offset relation of said sockets.

7. The transmission of claim 1 together with a disc clutch interposedbetween said disc and said housing.

8. The transmission of claim 7 in whichsaid disc clutch comprises a setof clutch discs in driving relation to the disc of said driving assemblyand a second set of clutch discs interposed between said first setand indriving relation to said housing.

1. In a transmission: a. a driving assembly comprising an input shaftand a disc splined thereon and having a peripheral cylindrical surface;b. a plurality of sockets in said disc opening onto said peripheralsurface, arranged in axially offset staggered relation andequi-angularly spaced apart; c. a steel ball radially movable in each ofsaid sockets; d. a driven assembly comprising a housiNg and a powertake-off; e. said housing including a cylindrical wall and a pair of endwalls; f. said shaft being journalled in said end walls; g. saidcylindrical wall having a conical surface at one end, with the conicalsurface presenting its wider end inwardly of the cylindrical wall; h.said cylindrical wall having an inner cylindrical surface adjacent tothe wider end of said conical surface and formed with a series ofequi-angularly spaced arcuate recesses in axially offset staggeredrelation, and i. spring means in said housing for urging said disctowards and inwardly of said conical surface, whereby when said shaft isrotated and the speed of rotation increased, said balls move outwardlyof the sockets under the influence of centrifugal force and due to theirengagement with said conical surface move said disc axially inwardly ofthe housing to progressively bring said sockets opposite to saidrecesses whereupon the balls enter the recesses in succession and engageends of the recesses with hammer-like impacts.
 2. The transmission ofclaim 1 in which said spring means takes the form of an expansion coilspring disposed about said shaft and interposed between an end wall ofthe housing and said disc.
 3. The transmission of claim 1 in which eachof said arcuate recesses has a ball entry end and an abrupt end wallspaced from said ball entry end.
 4. The transmission of claim 3 in whichsaid entry end is defined by a bottom surface of the recess which issubstantially a tangential continuation of the inner cylindrical surfaceand which bottom surface merges in with said abrupt end wall.
 5. Thetransmission of claim 1 in which there are four of said sockets and fourof said arcuate recesses.
 6. The transmission of claim 5 in which afirst socket is located closely adjacent to a side edge of thecylindrical surface of said disc, a second socket is axially offset fromsaid first socket a distance of substantially one-eighth of an inch, athird socket is axially offset from said second socket a distance ofsubstantially one-eighth of an inch, and a fourth socket is axiallyoffset from said third socket a distance of substantially one-eighth ofan inch and is located closely adjacent to the other side edge of saidcylindrical surface, and said arcuate recesses are axially offset in anarrangement corresponding to the staggered offset relation of saidsockets.
 7. The transmission of claim 1 together with a disc clutchinterposed between said disc and said housing.
 8. The transmission ofclaim 7 in which said disc clutch comprises a set of clutch discs indriving relation to the disc of said driving assembly and a second setof clutch discs interposed between said first set and in drivingrelation to said housing.